Fact Check: Did Indonesia's Finance Minister Call for Death Penalty for Corruptors?

A video circulating on social media falsely attributes a call for the death penalty and asset confiscation for corrupt officials to Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa. The manipulated content claims Sadewa suggested capital punishment for corruptors, stating that "extraordinary crimes require extraordinary punishments."

However, a fact-check by Tempo revealed the video is a fabrication. The original footage, from a September 19, 2025, press conference at the Ministry of Finance, shows Sadewa discussing economic strengthening, tax amnesty, and customs issues. The context of his remarks on corruption was entirely different from what the fake video suggests.

Analysis of the manipulated video shows significant alterations. The creator modified the sound, flipped the image horizontally, and used deepfake technology. Experts from the Deepfakes Analysis Unit (DAU) of the Trusted Information Alliance (TIA) India confirmed that the voice in the video was machine-generated, with one analysis detecting an 86.8 percent voice manipulation level. The inserted background music was also intended to hinder detection.

The fake news engineering involved altering the original footage to create a misleading narrative. This manipulation included changing the speaker's intonation and creating asynchronous skin movements, making the deepfake detectable through careful examination and specialized tools.

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The death penalty must be implemented. This is my suggestion to President Prabowo Subianto. Corruptors steal billions, yet receive light sentences. That's unfair. I personally believe that extraordinary crimes require extraordinary punishments. I even agree that the death penalty should be implemented. At the very least, all assets should be confiscated. There should be no stories of people leaving prison still rich. I'm sure the people support this.